Palmer Luckey’s Retro Gaming Company Is Selling A Game Boy Made Of The Same Metal As Attack Drones - Kotaku

Palmer Luckey’s ModRetro teams with defense tech firm Anduril on a limited-edition Chromatic handheld built from the same magnesium-aluminum alloy used in Anduril’s attack drones—aimed, the pitch says, at delivering performance and reliability under any and all conditions.

Key details

• Product: Anduril Chromatic (ModRetro x Anduril collaboration)
• Price: $349.99 (Anduril Chromatic + Porta Pro Bundle)
• What’s included: Handheld, headphones, and an Anduril logo charm
• Materials: Same alloy used in Anduril’s attack drones
• Positioning: A rugged, Game Boy-style retro handheld marketed for durability and reliability

Why it’s controversial

• The device leans on military-grade materials as a selling point, which critics say feels gross and fetishistic—especially given Anduril’s role in building weapons used in modern warfare.
• The announcement rekindles long-standing concerns about the crossover between video games and the military-industrial complex, including how gaming communities are courted for recruitment and cultural influence.
• Retro gaming historians and enthusiasts have pushed back, questioning the need for a drone-grade handheld to play classics like Tetris and challenging the optics of the collaboration.

Context

• ModRetro first unveiled the Chromatic in 2024 as the “world’s best tribute to the Game Boy.”
• Palmer Luckey, best known for founding Oculus, left the VR company after funding pro-Donald Trump trolls drew backlash from developers. He later founded Anduril, which has become a prominent defense contractor—setting the stage for this crossover: a retro handheld made with drone metal.

Author: Kenneth Shepard
Published: December 19, 2025

Source: https://kotaku.com/modretro-anduril-chromatic-attack-drone-metal-luckey-2000654868